diff --git a/src/core/boost/timers.hpp b/src/core/boost/timers.hpp
index c80b8913..2743b56a 100644
--- a/src/core/boost/timers.hpp
+++ b/src/core/boost/timers.hpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 // Speeds up compilation a bit on msvc
 #if (defined _MSC_VER) && (_MSC_VER >= 1200)
 #pragma once
+#define _WINSOCKAPI_
 #endif
 
 #include <boost/config.hpp>
diff --git a/src/core/libircclient/include/libircclient.h b/src/core/libircclient/include/libircclient.h
index 82bff5c7..051d7fb3 100644
--- a/src/core/libircclient/include/libircclient.h
+++ b/src/core/libircclient/include/libircclient.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 	#include <sys/select.h>	/* fd_set */
 	#include <netinet/in.h>	/* sockaddr_in */
 #else
-	#include <winsock.h>
+	#include <winsock2.h>
 #endif
 
 #ifdef	__cplusplus
diff --git a/src/core/libircclient/src/libircclient.c b/src/core/libircclient/src/libircclient.c
index 453bb41d..39bc3cc2 100644
--- a/src/core/libircclient/src/libircclient.c
+++ b/src/core/libircclient/src/libircclient.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
  * $Id: libircclient.c 42 2004-10-10 16:16:15Z gyunaev $
  */
 
+
 #include "portable.c"
 #include "sockets.c"
 
@@ -25,6 +26,11 @@
 #include "colors.c"
 #include "dcc.c"
 
+#ifdef _MSC_VER
+	#undef strdup
+	#define strdup _strdup
+#endif
+
 #define IS_DEBUG_ENABLED(s)	((s)->option & LIBIRC_OPTION_DEBUG)
 
 
diff --git a/src/core/libircclient/src/portable.c b/src/core/libircclient/src/portable.c
index bbc46258..fc44e767 100644
--- a/src/core/libircclient/src/portable.c
+++ b/src/core/libircclient/src/portable.c
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
 		#endif
 	#endif 
 #else
+	#include <winsock2.h>
 	#include <windows.h>
-	#include <winsock.h>
 	#include <time.h>
 	#include <stdio.h>
 	#include <stdarg.h>
diff --git a/src/net/common/clientstate.cpp b/src/net/common/clientstate.cpp
index e0348ecc..97e83c23 100644
--- a/src/net/common/clientstate.cpp
+++ b/src/net/common/clientstate.cpp
@@ -249,7 +249,6 @@ ClientStateStartConnect::Process(ClientThread &client)
 		if (errCode == SOCKET_ERR_WOULDBLOCK)
 		{
 			boost::timers::portable::microsec_timer connectTimer;
-			connectTimer.start();
 			ClientStateConnecting::Instance().SetTimer(connectTimer);
 			client.SetState(ClientStateConnecting::Instance());
 			retVal = MSG_SOCK_INTERNAL_PENDING;
diff --git a/src/net/common/ircthread.cpp b/src/net/common/ircthread.cpp
index 1e2581ed..1ea732a3 100644
--- a/src/net/common/ircthread.cpp
+++ b/src/net/common/ircthread.cpp
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@
 
 #include <net/ircthread.h>
 
+#include <net/socket_helper.h>
 #include <libircclient.h>
 #include <sstream>
 #include <cctype>
 
 using namespace std;
 
+#define IRC_WAIT_TERMINATION_MSEC 500
+
 struct IrcContext
 {
 	IrcContext(IrcThread &t) : ircThread(t), session(NULL), serverPort(0) {}
@@ -137,7 +140,7 @@ irc_event_numeric(irc_session_t * session, unsigned irc_event, const char *origi
 }
 
 IrcThread::IrcThread(IrcCallback &callback)
-: m_callback(callback)
+: m_callback(callback), m_terminationTimer(boost::posix_time::time_duration(0, 0, 0), boost::timers::portable::microsec_timer::manual_start)
 {
 	m_context.reset(new IrcContext(*this));
 }
@@ -212,14 +215,54 @@ void
 IrcThread::Main()
 {
 	IrcContext &context = GetContext();
+
 	irc_session_t *s = context.session;
 	if (s)
 	{
 		if (irc_connect(s, context.serverAddress.c_str(), context.serverPort, 0, context.nick.c_str(), 0, 0) == 0)
 		{
-			if (!ShouldTerminate())
-				irc_run(s);
+			// Main loop.
+			while (irc_is_connected(s))
+			{
+				// Handle thread termination - gracefully.
+				if (!m_terminationTimer.is_running())
+				{
+					if (ShouldTerminate())
+						m_terminationTimer.start();
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					if (m_terminationTimer.elapsed().total_milliseconds() > IRC_WAIT_TERMINATION_MSEC)
+						break;
+				}
+				
+				struct timeval timeout;
+				fd_set readSet, writeSet;
+				int maxfd = 0;
+
+
+				FD_ZERO(&readSet);
+				FD_ZERO(&writeSet);
+				timeout.tv_sec = 0;
+				timeout.tv_usec = RECV_TIMEOUT_MSEC * 1000;
+
+				irc_add_select_descriptors(s, &readSet, &writeSet, &maxfd);
+
+				int selectResult = select(maxfd + 1, &readSet, &writeSet, 0, &timeout);
+				if (!IS_VALID_SELECT(selectResult))
+				{
+					//todo
+					break;
+				}
+
+				if (irc_process_select_descriptors(s, &readSet, &writeSet) != 0)
+				{
+					//todo
+					break;
+				}
+			}
 		}
+		irc_destroy_session(s);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/net/common/receiverhelper.cpp b/src/net/common/receiverhelper.cpp
index b745b049..8557158e 100644
--- a/src/net/common/receiverhelper.cpp
+++ b/src/net/common/receiverhelper.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
  *   59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.             *
  ***************************************************************************/
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+	#define FD_SETSIZE 512
+#endif
+
 #include <net/receiverhelper.h>
 #include <net/socket_msg.h>
 #include <net/netexception.h>
diff --git a/src/net/common/servergamestate.cpp b/src/net/common/servergamestate.cpp
index 6590fda1..06f2812c 100644
--- a/src/net/common/servergamestate.cpp
+++ b/src/net/common/servergamestate.cpp
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ AbstractServerGameStateReceiving::Process(ServerGameThread &server)
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 AbstractServerGameStateTimer::AbstractServerGameStateTimer()
+: m_timer(boost::posix_time::time_duration(0, 0, 0), boost::timers::portable::microsec_timer::manual_start)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/net/common/serverlobbythread.cpp b/src/net/common/serverlobbythread.cpp
index c4df5dcf..5f45d08b 100644
--- a/src/net/common/serverlobbythread.cpp
+++ b/src/net/common/serverlobbythread.cpp
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ ServerLobbyThread::CloseSessionDelayed(SessionWrapper session)
 	m_gameSessionManager.RemoveSession(session.sessionData->GetSocket());
 
 	boost::timers::portable::microsec_timer closeTimer;
-	closeTimer.start();
 	CloseSessionList::value_type closeSessionData(closeTimer, session.sessionData);
 
 	boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_closeSessionListMutex);
diff --git a/src/net/genericsocket.h b/src/net/genericsocket.h
index 32cdc071..0c8a06bf 100644
--- a/src/net/genericsocket.h
+++ b/src/net/genericsocket.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 #define _GENERICSOCKET_H_
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-#define FD_SETSIZE 512
 #include <winsock2.h>
 #include <ws2tcpip.h>
 #else
diff --git a/src/net/ircthread.h b/src/net/ircthread.h
index 89d99810..151974aa 100644
--- a/src/net/ircthread.h
+++ b/src/net/ircthread.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <net/irccallback.h>
 #include <core/thread.h>
+#include <core/boost/timers.hpp>
 #include <string>
 
 struct IrcContext;
@@ -52,8 +53,10 @@ protected:
 	IrcContext &GetContext();
 
 private:
-	std::auto_ptr<IrcContext> m_context;
+	boost::shared_ptr<IrcContext> m_context;
 	IrcCallback &m_callback;
+
+	boost::timers::portable::microsec_timer m_terminationTimer;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/net/receiverhelper.h b/src/net/receiverhelper.h
index f0387313..131993de 100644
--- a/src/net/receiverhelper.h
+++ b/src/net/receiverhelper.h
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 #include <deque>
 #include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
 
-#define RECV_TIMEOUT_MSEC	50
-
 class ReceiverHelper
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/net/socket_helper.h b/src/net/socket_helper.h
index 8a9c3617..87ae2a57 100644
--- a/src/net/socket_helper.h
+++ b/src/net/socket_helper.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ typedef unsigned char			u_char;
 #define IS_VALID_SEND(_s)		((_s) != SOCKET_ERROR)
 #define IS_VALID_SELECT(_s)		((_s) != SOCKET_ERROR)
 
+#define RECV_TIMEOUT_MSEC	50
+
 #ifdef IPPROTO_SCTP
 	#define SOCKET_IPPROTO_SCTP		IPPROTO_SCTP
 #else
diff --git a/src/playerdata.cpp b/src/playerdata.cpp
index a7fb0f1a..0840d237 100644
--- a/src/playerdata.cpp
+++ b/src/playerdata.cpp
@@ -66,14 +66,14 @@ PlayerData::SetAvatarFile(const std::string &avatarFile)
 boost::shared_ptr<SessionData>
 PlayerData::GetNetSessionData() const
 {
-	boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_dataMutex);
+	// setting/getting boost::shared_ptr is thread safe.
 	return m_netSessionData;
 }
 
 void
 PlayerData::SetNetSessionData(boost::shared_ptr<SessionData> session)
 {
-	boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(m_dataMutex);
+	// setting/getting boost::shared_ptr is thread safe.
 	m_netSessionData = session;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/session.cpp b/src/session.cpp
index 4f0bf83f..d9e560bf 100755
--- a/src/session.cpp
+++ b/src/session.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 #define NET_CLIENT_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT_MSEC	1000
 #define NET_SERVER_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT_MSEC	2000
-#define NET_IRC_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT_MSEC		5000
+#define NET_IRC_TERMINATE_TIMEOUT_MSEC		2000
 
 #define NET_DEFAULT_GAME					"default"